All posts tagged Nasawiya

When a Lebanese parliamentarian’s bodyguards assaulted a feminist collective last Friday, activists seized the only tool they felt they had in Lebanon: Twitter and Facebook.

An SOS message of sorts was disseminated online and dozens of activists flooded the scene to document the abuse via cellular phones. Videos and photos showed the bodyguards beating unarmed and peaceful activists. Members of the collective, Nasawiya, say the assault began when the three-car convoy of parliamentarian Nadim Gemayel parked illegally in the middle of the road, outside their offices while they were having a small party.

A bodyguard came in and gruffly demanded they stop taking photos should they capture the convoy, according to Nasawiya activists. Nasawiya responded by dancing around the cars, chanting “go home parliamentarian.”

Violence ensued, visible on the activist videos. Bodyguards are seen whipping out their weapons to intimidate about a dozen activists to stop chanting and return to their offices. The Lebanese army arrived and helped protect Nasawiya members from further abuse at the hands of Mr. Gemayel’s security – which this reporter witnessed. Read More »